Musical instrument



April 9, 1929. R W, CLA|BQRNE 1,708495 MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed May 28, 1927 fw f/ www ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 9, 1929.

UNI-TED ROBERT W. CLABORNE,"OF NEW GAN'AN, GN'NECTCUT.

Musical. Insrnniannr.

YApplication lefl May 28,

rlhe present invent-ion relates to an improvement in musical instruments, one object being to provide an inexpensive and simple instrument having the desirable musical qualities of a Xylophone or marimba and yet so simple that it may readily be assembled by a child of ordinary intelligence. A further object has been to provide an instrument adapted for use in connection with a plan of musical instruction for children which includes the actual making of instruments upon which they are taught to 1 erform. ln the case of a Xylophone it will be a part of the course for the student Vto make and match the parts constitutinghis particular instrument. Various types of Xylophone are well known, some being siniple but having' only mediocre musical qualities, while others are more expensivev and complicated by the provision of resonance chambers and therefore not aeapted to, the requirements of student manufacture.

One form of instrument embodying 'my invention is illustrated in the drawings accompanying the present specification and in which Figure l is a top plan View; and

Figure 2, a transverse section on the line 2-2 of Figure l.

Referring to the drawings, a sound board l having its edges free to vibrate is mounted on a plurality of supporting members 2 which extend transversely across the underside of the sound board and have their outer ends exposed adjacent to the lateral edges thereof. No lother support for the sound board is provided or necessary. Bars 3 of wood or any other suitable material are mounted transversely across longitudinally extending bar supporting blocks It, the upper edges of which are preferably tapered to reduce the area of their support-ing surface portions. The bars are retained in operative position by any suitable means such as posts 5.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings, it will be apparent that the ends of the sound board extend considerably beyond the supporting members 2 which are located at the nodal portions or" said board. It will be understood that the location of the nodal points of different sound boards with respect to the ends thereof will vary with boards of different vibration affecting properties such 1927. Serial No. 19%,S/7.

as length, breaoth, thickness and character of the wood. ln Figure l the supporting members 2 are shown as positioned at approximate-ly the nodal points of a sound hoardV of dried Cuban mahogany LVS inches thick, l0 inches wide and S0 inches long. A sufliciently exact determination of the location of the nodal points of any given sound board can be made by the well known experiment in which sand or dust is strewn on the board, the latter being then vibrated as by drawing a violin bow across an edge thereof. Furthermore, there are no side or end walls or partitions underlying or engaging edge portions of the sound board so that the latter is free to vibrate, and sound waves originating from vibrations thereof are unobstructed in their passage or movement therefrom. lt has been found that this construction produces a full, rich ymusical note without the use of complicated resonance chambers or of expensive or unusual materials of construction. The necessary parts may readily be made by a Astudent and assembled in proper relation as part of his musical instruction.

l claim as my invention:

1. A musical instrument comprising a sound board having its peripheral edge portions free to vibrate, supporting means engaging the underside of said board at approximately the nodal points thereof, and ysound producing means of predetermined tone characteristics mounted in operative relation with respect to said sound board.

2. imusical instrument comprising a sound board having its peripheral edge portions free to vibrate, supporting means engaging the underside of said board at approximately the nodal points thereof,v

,spaced longitudinally extending bar supporting blocks secured to the upper side of said sound board and having their respective top or bar supporting faces narrower than their bottom or board engaging faces, and a plurality of sound producing bars mounted on said blocks.

3. A musical instrument comprising a sound board having its peripheral edge portions free to vibrate, supporting mean-s engaging the underside of said board at approximately the nodal points thereof, spaced longitudinally extending bar supporting blocks secured to the upper side of said sound board, a series of spaced posts mounted in each block, the posts in one block being` in staggered relation to the posts in the other hloelz, and a plurality of sound producing hars each havinga single perforation adjacent to one end thel'eol', said hars being mounted on sacl hlool-:s with the posts on one block engaglg Ksaid peforatons and with the unperfolated end of each bal` noeltonecl between adjacent posts on the othel` block.

ln testimony whereof, l have signed my 10 name to 'this specification this E24-th day of May, 192'?.

OBEBT TN. CLABORN 

